Bow-facing oar.



PATENTED OUT. 23, 1906.

W. 0'. CASE. BOW FAGINGOAR. APPLIUATION FILED MAYlO, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOW- FACING OAR.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23,1906.

Application filed May 10, 1906- erial No; 316,210.

To all whom, it may concern: Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. CASE, a citizen of the United States, residing near New Boston, in the county-of Bowie and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Bow-Facing Oar, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to bow-facing oars; and it consists of the novel construction and arrangements of its parts, as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel rowing apparatus adapted to be applied to the sides of a boat, which shallbe simple in its construction, capable of speedy application into place and manipulation and operation and be efficient in service, and in which there shall be such an arrangement of parts that an oarsman will be able to sit facing the direction of movement of the boat and be able to bring into'operationthe greatest possible power with a given exertion of energy; furthermore, to produce a rowing apparatus capable of easy and speedy attachment upon the gunwale of a boat.

With the above object in view the invention consists, primarily, of a gunwale-plate adapted to be screwed or bolted to the boat, a block horizontally pivoted to said gunwale-plate, the shaft upon which said block is mounted extending at one end beyond the end of the gunwale-plate, a spring attached to the gunwale-plate and bearing at its free end against the end of said shaft, the oar pivoted to the said block, and a lever fulcrumed to said block and having its working end connected by a link with the said oar. The blade of the oar is constructed especially for advantageous use in connection with a bow-facing apparatus.

In the accompanyin drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the ow-facing-oar. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly sectioned, showing a bow-facing oar attached to the side of a boat. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the block upon which the car is pivoted and the lever fulcrumed. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the blade of the car out on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

The apparatus consists of the gunwaleplate 1, which is adapted to be screwed or bolted to the inner or outer side of the boat2.

A plate 1 is provided in its upper edge with a recess 3, said recess being located at a point intermediate of the ends of said plate. The shaft 4 extends horizontally through the up A per portions of said plate 1 and also horizon-.

tally across the recess 3. The forward end of said shaft 4 projects slightly beyond the for-: ward end of the platel. is screwed at its lower end to the lower forward edge of the plate 1. The upper end. of said spring bears against the forward projecting end of the shaft 4. The block 6 is fixed to the shaft 4 and is located in the recess 8. Said block is provided with the upper flat sur face 7, and its under side 8 is semicylindrical, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The shaft 4 is journaled in the plate 1. The oar 9 is pivoted at the point 10 on the flat side 7 of the block 6. The lever 11 is fulcrumed at the point 12'to the flat side 7 of the block 6. The link 13 connects the working end of the lever 11 with the inner end of the. oar 9. The blade 14 of the oar 9 is made thicke est at its lower edge and gradually diminishesin thickness at its upper edge. This construction in the blade of the oar is found to be advantageous in bow-facing apparatus, as will be hereinafter explained.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The oarsman sits substantially in alinement with the longitudinal axis of the oar when the same is substantially at right angles to the side of the boat. By gras ing the power end of the lever 11 and pulling the same toward him the outer end of the oar'9 is moved from bow toward stern. At the same time the block 6 is turned sufliciently on the shaft 4 to enable the blade 14 of the oar 9 to enter the water. At the end of the stroke the block 6 is turned on the shaft 4 so as to elevate the blade 14 of the oar 9 above the surface of'the water, and by reversing the movement of the lever 11 the blade of the oar is carried from stern to bow. By reason of the fact that the lower edge of the blade 14 of the oar 9 is thicker than the upper edge and that the thickness of the said blade gradually diminishes from its lower edge toward its upper edge the angles of the plane surface of the sides of the blade are such as to retain the blade in the waterthat is to say, that in-' asmuch as the surface of the blade is cantered at a slight angle to a perpendicular the water bearing down upon the surface of the blade thus cantered by gravity has a tendency to retain the blade in the water and relieves the oarsman from the extra exertion of endeavoring and preventing the block 6 from rotating during the operation of the caring to such anextent as to bring the blade The flat spring 5.

, of the oar out of the water. During the rowing the block 6 is constantly oscillating from side to side, and consequently the rear end thereof will wear away, or that portion of the plate 1 which comes in contact with the end 15 of the said block is worn. The function of the spring 5, bearing against the shaft 4, is to hold the end 15 of the block 6 in contact with the plate 1. slide in its bearings in the said plate 1. Thus the said spring 5 keeps the block 6 from rattling or making unnecessary noise as it becomes worn. a

By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings it 'will be seen that the oar 9 is provided with a detachable blade end or section. The end of said section enters a sleeve 15 and is held therein by the set-screw 16, While the said sleeve in turn is held upon the other section of the oar by the set-screw 17.. Thus should the blade end or section of the oar break a new section may be attached without removing the entire oar and its attachments from the side of the boat.

The shaft 4 may the end of said shaft and an operatively-connected lever and oar pivotally attached to said block.

2. A'bow-facing apparatus consisting of a gunwale-plate having in its upper edge a recess and shaft journaled in the upper portion of said plate and extending across said recess, said shaft being adapted to slide longitudinally in its bearings, a block fixed to said shaft and being located in the recess of said plate, a spring attached to said plate, a bearing against the edge of said shaft, a lever and oar operatively connected and pivotally connecting to said block.

3. A bow-facing apparatus consisting of a gunwale plate, a shaft journaled to said plate and adapted to slide longitudinally in its bearings, the end of said shaft projecting beyond the end of the plate, a spring attached to said plate and bearing against the proj ecting end of said shaft, and block attached to said shaft, a lever and oar operatively con nected and pivotally attached to said block.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM 0. CASE.

Witnesses:-

FRANK A. KING, 0. B. PIRKEY. 

